Ireland was ranked as the fifth most attractive European country to work in

Ireland has been ranked as the fifth most attractive place to work in Europe, according to a new report by jobs site Indeed.

The report, which assessed job hunting in 21 countries, showed interest in moving to another country for a new job has returned after two years of the pandemic.

Ireland is now one of five markets in the study to experience a “brain gain” with more inbound than outbound interest, Indeed reported.

The main country of origin for overseas jobseekers wanting to move to Ireland was the UK, accounting for more than a quarter of searches. The United States, Spain, India and France followed.

During the lockdown, cross-border job searches in Europe fell by 32 per cent but has now risen to 10 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. In Ireland, that has returned to 16 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.

The demand for skilled workers to fill highly skilled positions has led to increased search volume. 80 per cent of Irish companies are now planning to hire overseas workers this year.

Indeed also found that software development, IT, management, and accounting are among the sectors most likely to attract foreign workers.

“This survey shows that Ireland is an attractive destination for internationally mobile, highly skilled individuals whose experience is in high demand, particularly in the technology sector,” said Jack Kennedy, economist at Indeed.

“Many companies are already taking steps to recruit foreign workers, for example by posting jobs abroad, hiring recruiters with foreign language skills and writing job descriptions in multiple languages.”

The rise in cross-border job searches has also been impacted by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Indeed reported that 46 percent of Irish employers surveyed said they made special arrangements to support refugees from Ukraine, while 30 percent tried to expedite applications for Ukrainian refugees.

Despite the demand, however, employers said they needed further support from the government, with 35pc calling for the visa or permit process to be speeded up. A third said the government must reduce immigration requirements for workers, while 34pc called for a reduction in the cost of obtaining visas for foreign workers.

According to the Central Statistics Office, the number of people employed in Ireland topped 2.5 million in May, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.